Quintana gives White Sox solid outing in loss to Twins

AL SCHOCH

May. 02, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Quintana gave the Chicago White Sox a solid outing from a starter for the first time in three games. However, the offense couldn't muster anything against the Minnesota Twins.

Quintana allowed six hits and one earned run in seven innings and the Twins beat the White Sox 1-0 Friday night.

Quintana (1-2) worked his way out of trouble several times. The only run of the game came when Kennys Vargas scored on Quintana's wild pitch in the fifth inning.

Quintana had his best start of the season and lowered his ERA from 6.56 to 5.28.

"He was sharp, he got into a couple binds and he battled through it," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "The (wild pitch) is just one of those you'd like to have back."

Minnesota has won the first two games of the series and handed Chicago its third straight loss. The White Sox have totaled just four runs in the skid.

"The last few's been frustrating, offensively," Chicago's Adam LaRoche said.

Kyle Gibson (2-2) pitched eight strong innings for the Twins, giving up just four hits while striking out four and walking one.

LaRoche started Chicago's last-ditch effort in the ninth with his second hit of the game, a one-out single off closer Glen Perkins. The lefty managed to strand runners on second and third for his seventh save, getting Tyler Flowers on a called third strike to end the game.

The White Sox were able to get some good swings off Gibson, but the Twins were able to track down a couple hard-hit balls. Torii Hunter leaped against the right-field wall to rob Connor Gillaspie of extra bases in the fifth, while Trevor Plouffe made a diving stop of Gillaspie's hot shot between third and short and turned it into a force play that ended a seventh-inning rally.

"The handful of pitches (Gibson) left up, we hit them hard," said LaRoche. "We're going through one of those stretches where we're just not getting it going, across the board. It'll turn."

Torii Hunter and Kennys Vargas each had two hits for Minnesota, which has won five of its last seven.

White Sox starters gave up 20 runs in the previous two games.

After a rough first start of the season where he gave up six earned runs in 3 2-3 innings, Gibson has posted a 2.03 ERA over his last four outings, allowing just six earned runs in 26 2-3 innings.

Minnesota broke a scoreless tie in the fifth.

Vargas and Shane Robinson led off with singles and were on second and third with two outs when Quintana threw a pitch in the dirt on a 1-2 count to Hunter allowing Vargas — listed at 6-foot-5 and 289 pounds in the media guide — to rumble in from third base standing up.

Chicago had the best chance to score early with the bases loaded and one out in the second, but Flowers grounded into a double play.

Minnesota loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a single and two walks, but Kurt Suzuki struck out on a check-swing that would have been ball four. Eduardo Escobar then hit a ground ball deep in the hole at short. Alexei Ramirez's throw to first was ruled late on the field, but video review showed the throw beat Escobar to the bag for the third out.

After the game, the Twins shuffled their pitching staff by activating Ricky Nolasco and Brian Duensing from the disabled list and sending Tommy Malone and Caleb Thielbar to Class AAA Rochester.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: OF Adam Eaton missed the game with an illness and manager Robin Ventura said a few other Chicago players are not 100 percent healthy. With Eaton out, 2B Micah Johnson led off for the first time this season and struck out twice.

Twins: Minnesota placed RHP Tim Stauffer on the disabled list — retroactive to April 30 — with a right intercostal strain and recalled RHP Ryan Pressly from Triple-A Rochester. Stauffer has struggled since signing as a free agent, posting an 8.38 ERA in eight relief appearances while allowing nine earned runs and 16 hits in 9 2-3 innings. ... RHP Phil Hughes felt no discomfort throwing a bullpen session and remains on track to start Monday against Oakland. Hughes left Wednesday's start with a left hip flexor strain.

UP NEXT

The teams are scheduled to play the third game of this four-game series Saturday afternoon. Expected to come off a stint on the disabled list because of right elbow inflammation, Minnesota's Ricky Nolasco (0-1, 18.00) is scheduled to pitch against Chicago's Hector Noesi (0-2, 5.23). Noesi is 0-5 with a 4.89 ERA in his last seven starts.